Publisher Phase out issues because not all features available in other programs.

Amy Boom 5 Reputation points
2026-01-08T16:43:02.4166667+00:00

I am a teacher and use publisher to create postcards that the school sends out to students for positive things. The other teachers in the building fill out a Microsoft form and I then use that form to import the correct information to make is easy for me to print. I know I can do something similar in word, but there are several problems with this that I don't know how to solve.

  1. Publisher lets me create the template for a 1/4 of a page and then will auto populate multiple pages per sheet to create the letter page I can then print. I do the front and the back in two different files so I can change the order of the back side with the address so when I print it aligns with the correct postcard. For example. If i have 4 postcards to generate, when I print the note side they will be in order of 1,2,3,4. The address side must be printed in the order of 2,1,4,3 for the correct address to align with the correct note.
    1. Word as two issues with this. First, word does not let me create the 1/4 sheet page and then auto populate to create the full pages like Publisher does. I have to set it up to do 4 at a time and complete the whole page.
    2. Second, While I can create the postcard side by using the "Next Record" rule. I can't find anything that would allow me to do the previous record, which I would need to be able to get the address side (back side) to align with the front when printing. There is also no way for me to tell word to skip a record because it's already been done.
  2. Publisher allows me to set up text boxes that auto shrink text so all text can be seen. As the notes teachers write can vary in size this is a vital feature I need to complete this. Word doesn't have this feature, which means I would have to manually check every single note that is imported. I create anywhere from 30-100 of these at once, that is a ton of work I should not have to do.
  3. Finally, I know PowerPoint would allow me to set the slide size to be 1/4 of a page. However, PowerPoint does not have Mailings Merge like Publisher and Word. PowerPoint saving to PDF and printing options are severely limited so even if I could do mailings, it still wouldn't allow me to print the postcards accurately.

I need solutions to these problems or else I will not be able to continue creating and sending this postcards to our students!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Publisher | For education
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  1. Amy Boom 5 Reputation points
    2026-01-08T22:19:20.6933333+00:00

    I made two feedback submissions. One for each of my first two problems.

    1. Problem with layout and Records Merge
    2. Problem with Text Boxes

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  2. Chris Duong 10,705 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-01-08T19:42:46.5666667+00:00

    Hi @Amy Boom, 

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.   

    Thank you very much for reaching out and for taking the time to describe your postcard workflow in such detail. I truly appreciate the work you are doing to recognize and encourage your students, and I understand how important it is for this process to remain efficient, reliable, and manageable at scale. 

    I also want to acknowledge the level of detail in your explanation and the thoughtful way you outlined each challenge. It is clear that you have spent considerable time testing different tools and carefully evaluating how they fit into a real‑world, high‑volume printing workflow. This level of insight helps clarify the limitations involved and highlights a practical education use case that many others in the community may relate to. 

    To be transparent, the challenges you described reflect inherent limitations of the current tools rather than any configuration issue. Publisher was designed specifically for layout‑driven print workflows such as postcards, which is why it supports features like multi‑up layouts, front‑and‑back alignment, and automatic text resizing for variable content. Word and PowerPoint do not currently provide equivalent capabilities for these scenarios, and the behavior you are seeing aligns with their existing design and functionality. 

    Given this situation, here are my recommendations, which I hope will be helpful to you: 

    1/ Temporary workaround (Current best option) 

    Given this context, Publisher remains the most reliable option available today for your specific postcard requirements. Continuing to use Publisher together with Microsoft Forms and Excel as your data source currently provides the closest alignment with your existing workflow, while minimizing manual effort and the risk of layout or printing issues. 

    I understand the importance of keeping this process sustainable, especially when creating large batches of postcards, and based on the requirements you outlined, this approach best supports that goal using Microsoft’s current tools. 

    2/ Submit Feedback to Microsoft 

    As a forum moderator, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly. However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the Ideas · Community. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.   

    User's image

    Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility.  

    Additionally, since many other users have expressed similar concerns but may not know where to submit feedback, if my response has helped you better understand the situation and guided you toward a possible next step, please mark it as the “Accepted Answer.” Your action will help pin this post to the top, making it easier for others in the community who are experiencing the same issue to find your feedback and support it.  

    I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to assist you. 

    Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern.    

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have any extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

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